New 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: all-electric pickup truck revealed
May 20, 2021 by Ryan Hirons
Car changing is a big deal
That’s right, the ultra-American Ford F-150 has gone electric. Read on to find out all about this new F-150 Lightning EV…
- Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck revealed
- Battery-powered version of American icon
- Subtle visual upgrades
- Most aerodynamic F-150 ever
- Standard and Extended range versions
- Up to 300 miles of range
- Dual-motor setup
- As much as 571hp, 1,050Nm
- 907kg payload, 4.5-tonne towing limit
- Costs from around $40,000
You’ve read that right, the most American truck out there has gone all-electric. This is the new Ford F-150 Lightning — a dual-motor truck with as much as 300 miles of range on offer.
It’s an alternative to the GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T, and will cost around $40,000 before state taxes and EV discounts are taken into account. It’s unlikely to reach the UK, though.
New Ford F-150 Lightning design
How do you make your electric truck look, well, electric? In the case of the Ford F-150 Lightning, you give it a huge LED daytime running lightbar at the front with an equally wide brake light at the rear.
Other changes to the design compared with the standard F-150 include a smoothed-out front grille, which makes sense considering there’s no engine to cool. As a result, the Lightning’s the most aerodynamically efficient Ford F-150 ever. Although that’s not saying much…
New Ford F-150 Lightning batteries and performance
That name ringing a bell? Well, the Ford F-150 Lightning was once a V8-powered performance version of the F-150 pick-up truck.
Now it’s something of a cheesy reference to its electric power. Ford hasn’t said how large the batteries in this EV are, though it will offer ‘Standard’ and ‘Extended’ range versions. The former will be able to cover up to 230 miles on a charge, with the latter capable of 300 miles.
That’s assuming you’re not carrying anything. You’d suspect if you maxed out the 907kg payload, that would drop a bit.
Every version of the Ford F-150 uses a dual-motor setup, with one on either axle for an all-wheel-drive setup.
The Standard truck gets a healthy 432hp, though that’s cranked up to 571hp in the Extended Range version. Both have a colossal 1,050Nm of torque, though. Queue the train towing videos on YouTube…
Official performance figures are yet to be released, but Joe Biden, you know, the President of the United States, had a go in a prototype and said it could do 0-60mph in ‘4.3 or 4.4 seconds’.
New Ford F-150 Lighting interior and infotainment
Although the interior of the Ford F-150 Lightning is the same as the standard truck at its core, it does get a couple of cool upgrades.
The literal biggest is a new touchscreen infotainment system, measuring 15.5-inches — quite the increase from the standard 12-inch system — which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and has Amazon Alexa built-in.
There’s also a 12-inch digital driver’s display rather than analogue dials. How modern.
New Ford F-150 Lightning technology
The Ford F-150 Lightning is equipped with ‘BlueCruise’ tech. As well as ringing bells of the Blue’s Clues children’s TV show, it’s like Tesla’s Autopilot system — capable of accelerating, braking and steering for you on certain roads.
There is a sensor on the dashboard to make sure you’re paying attention while you’re using it though, so don’t think it’ll let you slack off behind the wheel.
The F-150 Lightning also supports over-the-air software updates, to keep the electric setup constantly updated and potentially improving range and performance over time.
Can I buy a Ford F-150 Lightning?
The Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck goes on sale in 2022, though you can reserve one now — as long as you’re in the US.
Prices start from around $40,000 (circa. £28,301) but that’s before local taxes or state EV benefits are taken into account.
It’s unlikely to come to the UK officially, but you never know…